Woven textile fabrics



July 1959 D. w. SIHINIIWELL 2,893,443

WOVEN TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Sept. 6, 1957 r 2 She ets-Sheot 1 "Even-C01 Slailmwell July 7, 1-959 D. w. SHlM WELL 2,893,443

WOVEN TEXTILE FABRICS LL U era/bop United States Patent WOVEN TEXTILE FABRICS Derrick Walter Shimwell, Jnrby, Isle-of-Man, England, assignor to Weaving Research & Textile Commission Agents Limited, Jnrby, Isle-of-Man, England, a British company Application September 6, 1957, Serial No. 682,478

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 27, 1956 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-383) This invention relates to woven textile fabrics of the type in which there are cut lengths of weft having their ends at the selvedge.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved selvedge construction of the weft threads which gives strength and good unravelling properties to the selvedges.

In accordance with the invention, there is a continuous weft thread which passes back and forth across the warps, leaving loops in the selvedges at both sides of the fabric which is being produced, and there is a second type of weft made up of a series of U-shaped or hairpin like lengths of weft which are inserted into the warps from opposite sides of the warp shed, so that the ends of the legs of each U-shaped or hairpin length of weft are associated with and may come within the loops of the continuous weft and alternate loops of the continuous weft thread at each selvedge are associated with and may come within loops of the Ushaped or hairpin lengths of weft. Thus, at each selvedge there will be two loops of weft (one provided by the continuous weft and the other by a U-shaped or hairpin length) associated with a straight leg of a U-shaped or hairpin length alternating with a single loop of the continuous weft associated with a straight leg of a U-shaped or hairpin length.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a fabric having a selvedge construction in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a modification.

The U-sthaped or hairpin lengths a of Weft thread have as shown the ends of each of their legs within loops of weft thread. 11 indicates the continuous weft thread. It will be seen that the continuous and discontinuous weft threads alternate in the body of the fabric and that in the latter, the weft and warp threads alternate in passing under and over one another. At the selvedges, the warp threads 0 and d do not pass alternately under and over the weft threads but are woven in a manner usual at selvedges to give a strong binding eflfect and prevent 2,893,443 Patented July 7, 1959 unravelling. We make no claim to any particular warp selvedge cons "uction.

Each looped end e of the continuous weft is associated with a leg or straight end 1 of the U-shaped or hairpin length of weft at the selvedges. The looped portions g of the U-shaped or hairpin wefts are always associated with and may surround loops e of the continuous weft b.

In Figure 2 one leg of each U-shaped or hairpin length of weft thread has a turned back portion h, which increases the weight of weft in the selvedges.

The straight ends of the U-shaped or hairpin weft threads may come within the loops of the continuous weft thread but in practice it will be found that some straight ends extend over the loop or loops associated therewith.

The invention is particularly advantageous for use in the production of coarse fabrics.

I claim:

1. A woven textile fabric comprising warp threads, a continuous weft thread passing back and forth across the warp threads thus providing loops in the 'selvedges at both sides of the fabric, and a second Weft thread defined by a plurality of U-shaped lengths of thread, the said U-shaped lengths of thread being inserted alternately from opposite sides of the fabric whereby the ends of the legs of each U-shaped length come at least within the loops of the continuous thread, and each alternate loop of the continuous weft thread at each selvedge coming at least within an alternate loop of the said U-shaped lengths.

2. A woven fabric of textile material comprising warp threads, a continuous weft thread passing back and forth across the warp threads thus providing loops in the selvedges at both sides of the fabric, a second weft thread defined by a plurality of U-shaped lengths of thread, the said U-shaped lengths of thread being inserted alternately from opposite sides of the fabric whereby the ends of the legs of each Ushaped length come at least within the loops of the continuous thread, alternate loops of the continuous weft thread at each selvedge coming Within the loops of the U-shaped lengths, and one leg of each U-shaped length having a turned back portion.

3. A woven textile fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ends of the legs of each U-shaped length terminate within the loops of the continuous thread.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 361,360 Hunt Apr. 19, 1887 2,795,244 Shimwell June 11, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 277,749 Great Britain Sept. 23, 1927 

